How millennial single mom Denise Laurel prepares for son's future

MANILA, Philippines — After a cancer scare, an engagement breakup and an emotionally draining finale for her recently concluded “The Better Half” soap opera, actress Denise Laurel will be undergoing a surgery that will take out a benign cyst on her breast.

Despite all this, Denise tries to keep calm and stay strong for her son, Alejandro.

“Being a mom made me the most competitive ever in my life,” the actress said while hosting a recent press con for Enfagrow. “I’ve researched more on parenting than on any role that I ever played as an actress since I’m both mom and dad.”

If in “The Better Half” her character got obsessed on love for a guy, in real life, she has a different obsession.

“I’m almost obsessed with everything that happens with my son, Alejandro. But I am obsessed about giving him the best. Is he doing the right activities? Is he growing fast enough? How’s his IQ?”

Given her experiences in life, she believes her son needs more than just IQ (intelligence quotient) to succeed in life.

“I was really focused on enhancing everything that I could possibly give to him. Kasi nu'ng panahon natin ‘di ba, ang matalino ang bida? Am I right? Nu’ng panahon natin, kung sino ‘yung first honor, s’ya ‘yung may prize. Or ipagmamayabang mo sa mga kaibigan mo, ‘First honor ‘yung anak ko!’ I’m beginning to learn that IQ isn’t enough anymore.”

According to a study conducted by pharmaceutical giant Mead Johnson among 3,700 mothers in Asia, 91 percent of millennial mothers regarded EQ (emotional quotient) as important as IQ. Around 12 percent even said that EQ is more important than IQ.

The research, said to be the first of its kind in Asia, examined the perceptions of mothers in the continent, and it reportedly has a 95 percent confidence level, so it is very accurate, said Dr. Aurorita Roldan, University of the Philippines College of Home Economics Dean and professor on family life and child development.

Dr. Roldan said that the study shows millennial moms like Denise associate EQ with being independent. For these moms, the highest indicator of success is independence. Other indicators connected with EQ are empathy, ability to work well with others, and adaptability.  

“EQ is a way of recognizing, understanding, choosing and monitoring how we think, feel and behave – how we view and look at ourselves,” the doctor explained.

“People with high EQ have a way to control themselves. EQ determines how they are in relation to themselves. EQ shapes our understanding of ourselves, our interaction with others. It also defines how and what we learn. It also allows us to set our priorities, determines majority of our daily actions, and responsible for 80 percent of the success in our lives.”

Denise agrees that the first five years of life is the most crucial for Alejandro, because it is when 90 percent of brain development happens. Thus, for moms like her, it is crucial to know about breakthroughs such as milk fat globule membrane (MFGM).

Recent studies demonstrate that MFGM plays an important role in supporting cognitive development, immunity and gut health. Moreover, a clinical study suggests that MFGM supplementation in children’s milk can positively impact behavioral regulation, specifically EQ, in young children.

MFGM is now found in the new formulation of Enfagrow A+ Four. “Indeed, this is our biggest breakthrough since we first introduced DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) into our products in the early 2000s,” said Chris Ritchie, General Manager of Mead Johnson Nutrition, Philippines. “This allows us to help parents prepare their children, particularly in the aspect of IQ and EQ development, for the demands that the future may bring.”

Mothers of Asia, said Dr. Roldan, believe that they do not communicate as well their children now, thus, they think that their children have a better chance of having a brighter future than they ever did.

By harnessing her child’s EQ, Denise believes that Alejandro can truly weather any storm, befitting of the hashtag she gave him: #LittleWarrior.